Have you ever sat in a meeting and wondered why it feels like only two or three people dominate the entire conversation? These louder colleagues are usually the first to speak up, give their opinions, and take up most of the meeting time. Before you know it, the meeting is over and you haven’t said a word.

As a global communications professional, I work with many smart and talented people. Even among these competent and capable professionals, I consistently hear the most frustrating comments go something like this: “I work hard and deliver, but I still don’t feel like my efforts are recognized, let alone rewarded with promotions or other opportunities. Why?!”

In my new book, Smart, Not Loud: How to Stand Out at Work for the Right Reasons, I teach professionals how to open up greater opportunities by improving this one skill: communication. It’s not about being assertive, dominant, or aggressive if that’s not your style. It’s about being intentional and smart so that when you speak up, people will listen.

Here are five phrases the most successful people use every day to stand out and get ahead.

Brilliant communicators know that in order for people to listen to them and their ideas, they must first make sure that others are listening to them.

If you want to intervene in a meeting, listen carefully and wait until the other person has finished speaking, rather than quickly saying what is on your mind and potentially interrupting the other person.

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Then preface your comments with the words “I understand what you are saying.”

These words show the person that you acknowledge them and their thoughts, even if you have an opposing viewpoint. You don’t want the other person to become defensive, which can prevent them from considering what you have to say.

People make decisions using both logic and emotion. However, people are much more likely to remember and be persuaded by stories than facts alone. As the saying goes, they’re more likely to remember how you made them feel than what you said.

To be a smart communicator, use emotion and build stories into your speech. This means using words like “excited” and “delighted” to gain support. Smile as you speak or raise your eyebrows to increase impact. If you want to signal urgency, use words like “concerned” and “concerned” in a downward tone to convey seriousness.

Help others feel what you’re feeling by using your words, body language and tone of voice. If you have a relevant story – an anecdote about how your product is used in the real world, for example, or from your previous experience on a similar project – share it.

One of the most important things you can do at work is to ask for what you want. Another way is to strategically apply pressure to make sure you get an answer.

Instead of simply saying, “Hi, I’m checking in,” which can seem pushy and ineffective, preface your follow-up with new information. For example, you could say, “Since our last conversation, where I presented Project X, I’ve found some interesting data that supports my hypothesis about Y. Here’s the news…”

This strategy can ease any awkwardness you may be feeling, make your question seem timely and fresh, and move the conversation forward. When you get the answers you’re looking for, you can accomplish more—and more easily.

I’ve learned firsthand, and sometimes the hard way, that talent doesn’t automatically get noticed. Working hard and doing great work doesn’t automatically mean you’ll get a lucrative project or a raise, or even be considered for one.

Talking about your successes opens up new opportunities, but how do you do that without feeling like you’re bragging?

Use the power of contrast to highlight your progress and impact. For example, you could say, “The design changes we made to optimize the site have made navigation much easier. Today, we see the average consumer completing the purchase process in less than a minute, but back then, it took twice as long.”

When someone helps you at work—recommends you for a project, lends you a hand, or introduces you—you might express your gratitude with “thank you.” But smart communicators know it’s not just about saying those two words; it’s about saying what you’re grateful for and why.

Being specific can reinforce your appreciation, make our gratitude seem more authentic, and cheer the other person up. It leaves a positive impression and may make the other person more inclined to repeat that helpful action.

If you’re thinking about using these five phrases at work, you could do something like this:

• Change the speed of your words, Sometimes it speeds up when you speak, but then it slows down when you want to clarify something.
• Use your hands. For example, raise them up and show your palms to signal confidence, or use your fingers to indicate the numbers you’re talking about to give structure and emphasis to your words.

It may feel unnatural to use these phrases and techniques at first, but they can help you highlight your brilliance. Because you may Stand out in the workplace and advance in your career – even if loudness, brashness and assertiveness are not your style.

Jessica Chen is a global communications expert, keynote speaker and former Emmy award-winning TV journalist. Her new book “Smart, Not Loud: How to stand out at work for the right reasons” teaches smart professionals how to develop confidence in the workplace and build a career they enjoy by using strategic communication skills to stand out from the crowd. Connect with Jessica on LinkedIn And Instagram.

Do you want to be a successful and confident communicator? Take CNBC’s new online course Become an effective communicator: Master public speaking. We’ll show you how to speak clearly and confidently, calm your nerves, what to say and what not to say, and what body language to use to make a great first impression. Start today.